Abstract

Due to the extremely variable topography and diverse climate, Turkey has a great biodiversity in the term of flora and fauna. One of the main features that compose the rich biodiversity in Turkey is wetlands. Although the ecological and economical worth of the wetlands have been valued recently and considerable initiatives have been carried out in Turkey for the last decade, there are still significant threats and problems concerning the conservation and management of the wetlands. It is aimed in this paper to inquire into the issues experienced to date about wetlands and to discuss the steps that have been taken for solution of these issues in order to evolve suggestions that will provide guidance over and support to the road maps developed to ensure consistency of the wetlands in Turkey.

Key words: Wetlands, wetland management, Turkey.